Locking device for cotton-beaters.



\ g No. 643,277. Patented Feb. I3, 900.

: c. E. SMITH.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR COTTON BEATERS.

(Applicatiqn filed Nov. 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Uwrrn PATENT Finn.

CYRUS E. SMITH, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND HOPEDALE, MASSA- CI-IUSETTS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR COTTON-HEATERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,277, dated February 13, 1900. 1 Application filed November 22, 1899. Serial No. 787,861. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residingatFall River,

in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Looking Devices for Cotton-Beaters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and nmerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an improved locking device for cotton beaters or other analogous machines, wherein a movable cap or hood normally covers some rapidly-moving part, whereby access to such moving part by the operator must be preceded by stoppage of the machine.

In cotton-boaters the beater-shaft rotates at high speed, and if unprotected while in motion, as by raising of the cover, very serious or fatal injury to the operator may be inflicted. As it is necessary to clear such part of the mechanism from time to time the cap or hood must be so constructed that it can be opened; but by my invention the cap cannot be opened until the machine is stopped, and when stopped and the cap open the machine cannot be started up. The beater-shaft usually has a plurality of bars connected therewith and it is difficult to clean them while they are locked, and while looking devices heretofore have been so constructed that the beater can be released the operative has to go to the lock itself and render it inoperative, turn the beater-shaft, and then replace the lock in operative condition. In my present invention I have provided means forpermitting the turning over of the beater by hand Without requiring the operative to pay any attention to the locking mechanism, the latter resuming automatically its control of and locking the beater or other device irrespective of any act on the part of the operator.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a cotton-beater with the cap orhood thrown back to expose the beater, one embodiment of my invention being applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an'enlarged longitudinal sectional view on the line w 00, Fig. 3, of the locking mechis a longitudinal sectional view thereof on the line :20 to, Fig. 2.

The box or casing A of the machine, the beater-shaft B having arms B to support the beater-bars B and the cap or hood 0 may be and are of usual or well-known construction, the beater-shaft being mounted in suitable bearings beyond the casing A, one of said bearings being shown in Fig. 1 at 13*. The beater-shaft is extended through the bearing B and has fast thereon a keeper, herein shown as a disk 19, preferably provided with a plurality of apertures h for a purpose to be described. The bearing has secured to it, as by a bolt 5, the casing D of the main portion of the locking mechanism embodying my invention, and referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 said casing is interiorly recessed to provide seats for a two-part locking-bolt d e, the member dbeing longitudinally slotted, as at d, to receive the upturned end e of its fellow member e, the outer end of said member (1 being adapted when in the position shown in Fig. 2 to extend beyond the end of the casing D and beveled on its upper face, as at 01 A spring S is interposed between the upturned end 6' of the bolt membereand the outer end 61 of the bolt cl. The under face of the projecting end of the member 6 is beveled or rounded, as at 6 (best shown in Fig. 3,) while its opposite face is square for a purpose to be described. The casing D is slotted at d (see Fig. 1) 'for the reception of a pin forming an actuator 6 which is fastened to the bolt member e. A bolt-controlling spring S is inserted in a recess D in the casing between the end of said recess and the inner end of the bearing member 61, the spring normally tending to maintain the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A keeper 0, shown as secured to the lower edge of the cap or hood 0, has a hole 0 therein and a projection 0 When the cover is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, the projecting end of the bolt member all is extended through the opening 0 of the keeper and maintains the cover locked, at such time the bolt member 6 being maintained in retracted position and out of range of the shaft keeper or disk I), so that the beater-shaft is free to rotate.

When it is desired to have access to the beater, the cap or hood must be raised; but before this can be done the operative must grasp the actuator e and move the bolt as a whole in the direction of the arrow 30, Fig. 2,- and this can only be done when the beatershaft is stationary and one of the apertures b of the disk Z) is opposite to the bolt memher 6, so that necessarily the machine must be stopped by shipping the belt in usual manner before the cover can be unlocked, when the bolt member is thrown to the right, viewing Fig. 2. A detent, shown as a shoulder f on a barf, pivoted at f within the casing, is thrown up by means of a spring s into engagement with the shouldered recess 61*, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) made in the bolt member cl, and the bolt member is maintained with its member 6 in engagement with the disk-like keeper 1), while the other member (Z is withdrawn from the keeper 0, so that the cap or hood 0 can be lifted. The bar f is extended, as atf beyond the end of the casing D to form a trip for a purpose to be described, and it may be stated that when the bolt member d is withdrawn from the keeper on the cap, as will be described, the operative must retain his hold upon the actuator while he lifts the cap in order to permit the detent to assume its operative position. The beater-bars can then be cleaned; but it is desirable to rotate the beater by hand in order to bring one bar after another into convenient position to be operated upon, and this is done by the operative turning the beater-shaft in the direction of the arrow 33, Fig. 1, the rounded or beveled under face c of the bolt member 6 permitting such rotation, and at such time the action of the disk on the bolt member 6 will push it to the left, viewing Figs. 2 and 3, temporarily compressing the spring S. As soon as another aperture in the disk I) arrives opposite to the bolt member 6 the latter will be thrown into the aperture by the expansion of the spring S. After the beater has been cleaned it cannot be started until the cap is closed on account of the bolt member 6 being in engagement with the disk I), the running direction of the beater being shown by the arrow 35, Fig. 1. The operator therefore lowers the cap, and the projection c of its keeper first engages the trip f and depresses it into the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby withdrawing the detent f from the recess d so that the bolt-controlling spring S is free to act to retract the bolt 6 from engagement with the disk or shaft keeper 1) and to throw the bolt memberd out and into the opening 0' of the keeper 0. The machine might then be started up, as the bolt member 0 is in inoperative position. The cap or hood is thus securely locked in closed position so long as the beater is running, and the beater-shaft is with equal security locked against rotation when the cap or hood of the machine is open.

The spring S forms a yielding connection between the two members of the bolt and permits the relative movement of said members when necessary, as has been hereinbe fore set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton-beateroranalogous machine, the cap, a rotatable shaft, having a keeper movable therewith, mechanism, including a bolt to'engage the keeper and hold the shaft from forward rotation, said bolt being constructed and arranged to permit backward rotation of the shaft while said bolt is in operative condition, and means controlled by closure of the cap to lock the latter in closed position and to simultaneously release the keeper on the said shaft.

2. In a cotton-beater oranalogous machine, its cap, a rotatable shaft having a keeper rotatable therewith, cooperating mechanism, including a bolt to engage the keeper and hold the shaft from forward rotation when the cover is open, said bolt having its rear face beveled, to permit backward rotation of the shaft, and means carried by the cap to simultan eousl y release the said keeper and lock the cap in closed position.

3. In a cotton-beater or analogous machine, the cap, a keeper thereon, a rotatable shaft havinga keeper movable therewith, and looking mechanism, including a two-part bolt, the members thereof being adapted to cooperate respectively with the cap and shaft keepers, a manual actuator to release the cap when the shaft is at rest, and a detent to retain the cap-bolt member retracted while the cap is open, temporary retractive movement of the bolt member engaging the shaft-keeper being permitted at such time.

4:. In acotton-beateroranalogous machine, the cap, a keeper thereon, a rotatable shaft having a keeper movable therewith, and locking mechanism, including a two-part bolt, the members thereof being adapted to cooperaterespectively with the cap and shaft keepers, a manual actuator to release the cap when the shaft is at rest, a detent to retain the capbolt member retracted while the cap is open, temporary retract-ive movement of the bolt member engaging the shaft-keeper being effected by retrograde rotation of the shaft, and a trip operatively connected with the detent and actuated by closure of the cap, to release the bolt and lock the cap while the shaftkeeper is freed.

5. In a cotton-beater or analogous machine, the cap, a keeper thereon, a rotatable shaft having an apertured disk movable therewith, a two-part locking-bolt, the relatively-movable and yieldingly-connected members of which are adapted to cooperate respectively with the cap-keeper and the disk, a bolt-com trolling spring, a manual actuator to unlock the cap when the shaft is at rest, a detent to retain the cap-bolt member retracted when the cap is open, the shaft-bolt member having a beveled rear face to permit retrograde movement of the shaft'while the cap is open, and means to effect withdrawal of the detent by closure of the cap, to lock the latter and at the same time release the shaft.

6. In a cotton-beater or analogous machine, the cap, a keeper thereon having a projection, a rotatable shaft having an apertured disk fast thereon, a two-part locking-bolt, the members of which, relatively movable and yieldingly connected, are adapted to cooperate respectively with said keeper and disk, a bolt-controlling spring, means to unlock the cap when the shaft is at rest, the shaft-bolt member at such time engaging and preventin g forward rotation of the shaft, the said member having a beveled rear face to permit backward rotation of the shaft While the cap is open, a detent to retain the cap-bolt member retracted at such time, and a trip connected with the detent and in the path of the projection on the cap-keeper, engagement of the trip by such projection withdrawing the detent and releasing the bolt to lock the cap and free the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRUS E. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. GREGORY, JOHN C. SHAW. 

